In the first Roundtable meeting in Accra various areas that are crucial to sustainable cocoa production and consumption were identified. In order to gain a deeper understanding of these issues and provide a solid basis for future discussions on the economic, environmental and social pillars of sustainable cocoa, experts were convened to develop a set of six background documents for substantive discussions at the second Roundtable (RSCE2) in Trinidad & Tobago. The topics of these documents are: Modus operandi of RSCE, Best Known Practices in the Cocoa Value Chain, Sustainability Initiatives and the Challenge of Compliance, Traceability and Tracking, Social Issues and Draft Principles for a Sustainable Cocoa Economy.

Comments On This Article

Philippe Bastide at 12/02/2009 10:21:38:

This paper suggests that we could structure and organise the principles set out in the document "Draft Principles for a Sustainable Cocoa Economy" as well as in the elements supplied during CIRAD's presentation in Brussels. Since these principles are of unequal importance and do not all have the same social and economic impact, they must be classified based on major issues in the cocoa sector (viewed from a "researcher").

‘Towards a sustainable cocoa chain. Power and possibilities within the cocoa and chocolate sector.’

This report contributes in various ways to the debate on a sustainable cocoa economy. It provides an overview of the various stakeholders in the cocoa and the wider chocolate supply chain and identifies the concentration and purchasing power of companies as well as the trends in the supply chain. This document makes a series of recommendations to the various stakeholders. It offers food for thought and the study will be discussed at the Preparatory RSCE- Meeting in Abidjan in February 2009.

Reactions on the report and its recommendations are welcome at the RSCE-meetings or via e-mail to marieke.poissonnier@oww.be.